The field of this disclosure relates generally to surgical tools and, more particularly, to a self-cleaning endoscope used for surgeries.
Endoscopes are long slender tools used for minimally invasive surgery. A tip at one end of the endoscope contains a camera and fiber optic lights, covered by one or more lenses. In operation, this end of the endoscope can be inserted into an incision in a patient through a trocar. The other end of the endoscope includes a camera output and, in at least some cases, a handle. The camera feeds an internal image of the patient to a surgeon through either an eyepiece or a monitor. Typically, surgeries using an endoscope are considered “minimally invasive”. For example, a traditional appendectomy would require an inch or two incision. However, endoscopic surgery has reduced incision size to about ten millimeters or smaller. Often, a diameter of the tip of the endoscope is ten millimeters or less. Smaller diameter endoscopes may be required for child surgeries and/or surgeries in sensitive areas, such as the brain, or small areas, such as the knee or shoulder. Endoscopes for these surgeries, for example, may have a diameter less than five millimeters.
Frequently during endoscopic surgery, the lens covering the camera and/or lights becomes obscured with condensate, blood, and/or other debris. As a result, the surgeon may need to remove the endoscope from the patient to wipe the lens, as a dirty lens causes the surgeon to operate with obscured vision. Removing the endoscope to clean the lens distracts the surgeon, delays the surgery, and/or increases the time the patient is under anesthesia.
Providing the surgeon with the ability to clean the lens without removing the endoscope would allow the surgeon to maintain focus and perform quicker procedures, which may thereby lower hospital costs and/or decrease patient time under anesthesia.
As a result, there is a need for an endoscope capable of cleaning its lens in vivo.